Kids now days, starting in elementary are hard to impress. Starting with a few years back this generation has been exposed to lavish birthday parties, endless celebrations and an all out putting on of the dog in the name of one year older. This can make coming up with ideas a little tough because by the time the child has celebrated their 7th or 8th birthday party they have seen all the most common. No mom wants to disappoint the birthday boy or girl, so here are a few unique ideas that work for elementary school age children!
Wanna face some fear, stare worms in the eyes and eat slop? Well, that is not surprising, but elementary age kids sure do. The more real the better, dirty is great and it will likely be the talk of the school halls for months. Since fear factor is a huge success on television, how about setting up some “safe & clean fun” challenges for the group? It may be eating dog food (mashed up Vienna sausage), challenge city (obstacle course in the backyard) or some other slimy (food product) that you can think of! Really popular parties and there are a ton of ideas on the net to help you out.
Scavenger hunt birthday parties are not unique, but they can be made that way. There are so many things that can be changed with the hunt, which can really make a difference. For the older kids it may be a longer area, harder clues or a bigger prize at the end. They can be held at the mall, parks, museums, city wide or anywhere. Granted the idea is not unique, but being creative for the clues, developing traps or fooling them makes it a lot of fun!
What about a birthday party modeled after the all too awesome Amazing Race? The guests can work in teams or separately, but they travel around the park or neighborhood asking questions, looking for clues and participating in competitions. It could be jump rope, skipping, water balloons or whatever else you can think of.
Costume parties can be very popular for kids at elementary age. They are still young enough to fantasize about characters and most like to dress up, so give them the opportunity. They can either bring their own costume or can make one after arriving at the party. Having them make a costume could be part of the birthday celebration, but costs might be a factor. Again creativity sets the precedence here.
If your birthday boy or girl is the inquisitive type a game show theme birthday party may just be what thrills them. Picking one of the popular shows, such as Millionaire, Deal or No Deal or Family Feud might be a great way to get them engaged for that special day. Most of these games can be purchased and the only thing that mom would need to worry with is the matching decorations. This party is easy, but hugely successful.
See, there are still many ideas that will make that big birthday party the talk of the school house. It is not as much the money that is spent as the creativity and time that is placed into the planning process, believe me though, they will be most gracious for all that hard work.

Each and every mother that has prepared for, traveled with or even thought about taking little ones on a road trip understands that it is not an easy task. It is almost like preparing for a natural disaster where there may not be food, water or sanity for days at a time. After all it takes bags, bottles, totes, snack bags, coolers and that is just in the front of the car, not to mention all the diapering and other personal care items required. Really it can be a trying task to prepare for a trip with little kids, but there are some great tips, from mom to mom that can make it a smoother trip. Here are the 10 best tips for traveling with little ones that us moms can ask for.

This first tip goes hand in hand with a couple of the other tips as well. Keep them busy! It doesn’t matter where you’re at, going or doing if kids have something to do they are less likely to complain, get bored or into mischief. They are visual creatures that long to be stimulated with bright colors, sounds and yes, movement! If a DVD player is not possible, then how about a handheld toy version that plays little games or movies? While electronics are important, children can get bored and begin asking for something else to do. Bringing us to another tip: keep snacks, drinks and fruits available at all times. It may even be a good idea to put a cooler or other food holder where it is easily accessible to mom so that the little ones can be handed a snack quick. Sometimes traffic doesn’t wait so keeping snacks and drinks handy can create harmony as well as promote safety!

Coloring books, travel packets and paintless sets can keep even the most difficult child happy for a long car ride. These books are easy to find and most of the time they can even be purchased from discount stores making them affordable. Remember to stock up because with some of our little ones it doesn’t take long for them to work their way through them. Those books that can be wiped clean are a good idea as well, since they can be used over and over again. Remember, if the mind stays busy, the mouth is out of gear and the hands are occupied.

Playing games, singing songs and even guessing what color car you will pass next also engages the child and helps to keep them busy. There are tons of these little game ideas online, but here are a few:

•    “I spy” is always a favorite
•    Counting cars, fences, posts or signs
•    Practicing counting, alphabet or nursery rhymes

Making frequent stops is not at all convenient, but it really makes the trip easier on the child. Most kids get upset when they are strapped into a car seat and have absolutely no freedom or  choice about being there. Try and remember roadside parks for stretching the legs and bathroom breaks along the way!

Of course going into the trip well prepared always make it easier, but things like including paper towels, trash bags, goodies and little surprises make it even more pleasant. Traveling with little kids can actually be fun, especially when you have a few tips and tricks up your sleeve.

Whatever the circumstances may be, you are raising your child or children alone. What’s next? What changes when you are a single parent versus a dual parent household? Good news! You can be an excellent single parent. You may be a bit busier than the other parents and you may have to learn time management skills, but you can do it and you can raise outstanding young adults.
Community
It has been said many times before that it takes a village or a community to raise a child. I believe that this is true. No matter if you are married, in a relationship or single, it takes more than one person to raise a child successfully. Who else is in your life that is a part of your child’s life? Teachers, community leaders, religious figures, family, friends or relationship partners? In addition to providing positive influence for your children, these individuals can also serve as a support structure for you as a parent. After all, most of us need help every once in a while. If you have not surrounded yourself with a group of positive individuals to support you as a parent and to support your child’s development, begin to reach out to the individuals mentioned to build a network.
Time Management
When you are a single parent, there is no one in your household to watch the baby or your child while you take a shower, why you run to the grocery store or to help when one of your children are sick. So what do you do? What about your free time- what free time? Back to the concept of building a community, having help will help you. If money is an issue, many women use babysitting co-ops in their neighbourhoods or with the churches. Just because you are a single parent does not mean that you don’t deserve a few moments to yourself every once in a while.
In addition to help, you also need to master the concept of the household schedule. This is especially important if you have active children and you are a working parent. You need to master planning ahead, having contingency plans and working on projects whenever you have time. Single parents are often juggling many more balls in the air than a dual parent household. But if you manage your time well, you can still complete everything that you need to, you can be at your children’s functions, you can work and you can manage to have free time. It is all about the schedule.
So if you are a veteran single parent or are new to the scene, you must first ask for help. You will be surprised how many other single parents there are who are also willing to chip in with a hand. Then, you must become the master of time management. Don’t worry; you can do it and you can do it well!

For those of us who are divorced or widowed, we may often wonder if the man in our lives was the one love in our lives. Or, are we going to have another. Many women spend a great deal of time debating with themselves or discussing with others about this question. While there is no way to really know, most women of today believe that we can have many loves within our lifetime.
As divorce and split families have become more of the standard than the exception, many women are finding second chances for love later in their lives. And with the continued use of technology, there are so many more opportunities to meet men than there used to be.
The first thing to ask yourself is whether you are ready to meet someone new. Is it the right time in your life? Have you thought about how you plan to date with children? Do you plan to introduce men to your children and if so, at what time is the appropriate time? Once you are comfortable putting yourself out there to fall in love again, you need to determine how you are going to meet new people.
Today there are so many available options for meeting men. Most people meet their mates or relationship partners through family, friends or current circles of influence. Consider where you are currently spending your time. Is there the possibility that you will meet a new man in your current schedule? Or are you so busy working, shuttling kids to and from school and their activities that there are not any opportunities to meet someone new? If you are too busy, you may consider online dating. While this may sound scary, there are many women who have had very positive experiences using this technique.
So, a few things to consider. Do you believe that you can fall in love more than once? If so, do you believe that you have already had your chance? Or, are you more open to the idea that you could fall in love more than once throughout your lifetime? Neither answer is the right answer. Your answer is simply your answer.
I can share from personal experience that I have had more than one love in my lifetime. While it was not always comfortable initially to open myself up to a new love, every man that I have loved has had a very special place in my life. And while I may have just been lucky, I personally believe that we can love more than once. And while I certainly am a hopeless romantic and would like to think that one man will be it for me for the rest of my life, sometimes life throws us curveballs and points us down a different and unexpected path.